The purpose of the research is to assess the impact of the alternatives approach to the prevention of drug abuse. The alternatives approach is defined as an approach to drug abuse prevention which emphasizes providing youth with a variety of activities and experiences which can serve as alternative means of fulfilling needs and wants similar to those fulfilled by drugs. The research is being conducted on two drug abuse prevention programs, one of which offers alternatives classes in the public schools, and the other provides athletic/recreational activities to youth. The school-based alternatives program is being assessed through the implementation of a pretest-posttest experimental design. Youths are first assessed on several measures, including drug use, attitudes toward drugs, self-concept, and powerlessness. They are then randomly assigned to the alternatives classes or to a control condition (study hall). The alternatives classes then provide the youths with a variety of experiences designed to help them learn about themselves, to communicate better, and to engage in healthful activities. At the end of the semester, alternatives youths and control group members are again assessed on the battery of measures. The community-based alternatives program is being researched through the conduct of in-depth case history interviews which gather data on past and present experiences with (a) drug use and (b) physical/recreational activities. Data will be analyzed to identify relationships between the two experiences. It is hypothesized that the two sets of activities will be negatively correlated. The eventual outcome of these studies could have major implications for the shape and direction of drug abuse prevention programs across the nation. If the results are positive, it would suggest a shift from educational and counseling approaches toward more activity-based prevention programs.